The field of the invention relates generally to demand response systems and, more particularly, to a computing device for use with a demand response system that enables a utility to implement demand response events.
As the human population increases around the world and with an increase in the use of electric vehicles by customers, energy demand will also likely increase. More specifically, energy demand will likely increase in the form of electrical energy used to power buildings, homes, and/or to charge batteries or other energy sources used in electric vehicles. Moreover, the demand on the power grid is likely to increase while the demand for fuel decreases. Such demands will likely cause an increase in the price of energy from the power grid. In particular, the price of energy is likely to increase during peak times, such as a time of day and/or a day of the week, when demand for energy is high.
Currently, at least some known utilities use demand response systems that enable customers to enroll in at least one demand response program to manage the consumption of energy by their customers in response to supply conditions. Examples of demand response programs include a direct control program, a peak pricing program, such as a critical peak pricing program, and a time of use program. The initiation and/or implementation of a demand response program by a utility is known as a demand response event. A demand response event is initiated by a utility transmitting a plurality of signals to its customers. For example, a demand response event representative of a direct load control program, is initiated when the utility transmits a signal to a device within a building, such as an in-home smart device and/or smart thermostat, such that the utility is enabled to directly control the usage of energy consuming machines within the building. A demand response event representative of a critical peak pricing program occurs when the utility transmits pricing signals to its customers during peak demand times. The pricing signals enable the utility to apprise customers of heightened energy prices during peak demand time periods such that customers may limit their energy consumption during such peak demand time periods. A demand response event representative of a time of use program occurs when the utility transmits a signal to a customer that is representative of energy prices that correspond to a time range such that the customer may identify an optimal time of day and/or day of the week to consume energy to ensure a low energy price rate.
Such demand response systems enable the utility to manage peak load conditions and to reduce energy demand and/or consumption among its customers. More specifically, utilities manage peak load conditions by scheduling a fixed number of demand response events per day, week, and/or month for their customers. However, current demand response systems are unable to target specific customers for participating in a scheduled demand response event and, as a result, all the customers may receive signals from the utility that are representative of a demand response event. For example, current demand response systems are unable to select and/or identify customers based on various factors, such as an enrollment status in various demand response programs and/or a geographic location for each customer. As a result, some of the customers may be unnecessarily burdened with receiving the signal, as they may not have agreed to participate in the scheduled event and/or they may not reside in an appropriate location for participating in the scheduled event. Even if specific customers may be selected to receive the signals from the utility, current demand response systems are unable to validate or verify whether such customers are appropriate for receiving the signals. For example, some of the selected customers may have a policy limitation in their agreements with the utility in which each customer may only receive a signal once a day that is representative of a demand response event. As such, if the utility transmits more than one signal to such customers, the utility would be in violation of the agreements. Without validating or verifying the customers, the utility also cannot take into account any changes in a participation history for each customer for participating in demand response events, changes in an enrollment status, and/or changes in a policy limitation.